Tractor



June'3, 193b, v L, wlTRY 1,760,932

' TRACTOR Filed Jan. 14, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented June 3, 1930 I i '7 WWW T TES mam PATENT j GFFi CE:

LOUIS w. WITRY, or wA'rERLoo, IOWA, assrsixroa roaomv'fnnERE' AcToRooM q1 I PANY, or WA'IYEBLOO, IOWA; acoaroaarron or IOWA V .9

'- TRACTOR Application file-(l J'aniiary 14, 1 921; Seria1'No.43' 7,287.

This invention relates to tractors, and has for itsrobgects, the provis on of lmproved means for transmitting the motive power to the ground engaging traction' wheels; the. 5 provision of tractionwheel positioning means thatmaybe readily adjustedto shift the tractioniwheel's relative to the tractor frame to regulate thespaeing between the wheels andv the power shaft from'wh c'h thetractlon 1o wheels'are driven and, to improve devices of this character 111 sundry details,as will be more specifica-lly pointed out in theaccomf panying specification and the appended claims. i i 15 Referring numerals indicate similar parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevatlon oft-he improved tractor.

V Figure 2 is a detail plan View of' the rear .20 portion ofthe tractor main, frame with the top cover removed; some ofthe parts being shown llrseCtlOIl. V 4 I s Figure 3 is a sectioned-line 83 of Figure forwardly projejcting extension (ifwhich is supported by dirigible front wheels 8 mounted in a well known man-neron afront'axl'e 8 the latter being connected with the extension 6, by an upright bracket member 9; v A brace 10 extends from the front wheelax'le rearwardly to a suitable point of, connection with the frame 5. 'llhe dirigi'ble front wheels are controlled with the usual hand operated steering rod 11. V

The motor that furnishes power forflpropelling the tractor is indicated at 12 and may bejo'f the internal combustion type),

The'motor is secured to the frame 5 and the to the drawings, in

scribed. The mainframe is provided with a power'thereof' is applied to cr nk-shaft 1'3 gearsindicated at' 1 3 and 14 Splinedto the intermediate shaft .14 is a stepped gear 14? which can be shifted to a neutral position or to engage with a stepped geaa15 supported by carried in suitablebearings on the frame- 5. i The power is transmitted from shaft 13 tolin- V termedia'te drive shaftlk through the'usual' axleidriviiig shaft 15 mounted in suitable bearings 15 on the frame 5. v As shown in Fig; 2, fth ese bearings are in the form ofasleeves' closed' at their outerends, which are inserted through the; side walls of the'frame or housing 5Jat opposite sidesthereof at, the properflg points t'or'ecei've and support the end portions of 'sai'dshaft 15; At its outer end each of I said bearings is provided with a closed,

flangedhead 15? that'abuts against the outer .facejo'f the] frame or housing immediately around theopeningthrough which the bearingextends. These heads are secured to the outer surfacesof the walls of the housing by bolts 158', By means of these fclosed bearings V 1 the outer ends o'fthe shaft 15 are enclosed and; protected, and by removing the bolts 15 the bearings eanbe' removed laterally through-the frame so that the shaft and all-the parts moui' tedjthereon can be-lifted, out of the. I

frame.l This is quite" anadvantage in making repairs to the tractor as well as, in; as-

'cOunterShaftlG' carried by the frame hand sembling the job in the first instance', A

provided with suitable-"gears is arrangedin a well known manner to reversethe direction of rotation of the power shaft 15 when de'- sired; A common and well known type of] hand operated, gear shift mechanism, 'indicated at 17 1s provided for, engaging the de sired senor speed reducing gears or reversing "gears carried by the shafts' l d, 15 and 16 respectively. v

The web ofithes'tepped'gear 15 is provided with conventional diflferentialfmechanism i that co-ope'r'ates with conventional differential members 15?, 15 ,journaled on shaft 15 1 either side of thegear 15 The members 15 have outwardly extending sleeve portions 15?" on which are formed sprocket'teethlf) that drive sprocket chains 19 -19; the latter also operatingupon sprocket gears 20-20 secured 0 to independently mounted xl s 21 21. to

which the traction wheels 77 are secured. The axles 21 21 turn in roller bearings 2222 supported by axle sleeves 2323, the bearings 22 for each axle being held in spaced relationship in their sleeve 23 by a spreader 2d, and held from shifting inwardly by the sprocket gear and from shifting outwardly by collar 23 sleeve 23. V

' Each axle sleeve 23 is provided with a circular flange-like bearing 25 the latter having secured to the outer end of the an'inward circular extension25 the flange cated by dotted lines in Figure 3.

, The bearing 2525 of the sleeve23 is normally held fixed relative to the bearing 26 of the main frame by the several clamp members 1 2'7 and'bolts 28. The bolts 28 extend through web of the flange portion of the sleeve 23, as best seen in Figure 2, and upon each of the bolts 28 and interiorally of the frame 5 is mounted one of the clamp members 27, the bolt extending through a hole 27 in the clamp member and the head of the bolt fitting between the side walls 27 of the clamp member, the'latter being formed channel-like to prevent the bolt from turning in the clamp member when the nut of the bolt is tightened or loosened, The face of each of the clamp members 27 at one end engages the face of a shoulder 29 formed on the hub 29 of the sleeve 23 and atthe other end engages the inner face of the ring-like bearing portion 28 ,of the main frame, and it will be readily understood that when the bolts 28 are tightened the clamp action set up by the member 27 will securelyhold the member 23 to the frame and prevent it from turning.

Each of the clamp members is provided with a recess 30 at one of its ends, the recess fitting a rib 31 formed on the hub 29 of the V axle sleeve, thus the clamp members are held from swinging out of positionwhen the bolts 28 are'loosened'.

The lower rear interior portion of the frame 5 provides a pit for lubricating oil in which the sprockets 20 and the chains 19 run, the chains conveying lubricant to the teethof the sprocket-s 18. WVhen in time it is desired to take up slack in the drive chains, replace worn links or adjust the tension of the chains for any reason, this can readily be done by jacking up the rear end of the tractor to take the'weight off the wheels and then loosening the bolts 28 which clampthe sleeves 23 to the frame whereupon the sleeves 23 can be turned in their bearings. When either sleeve is turned in its frame bearing the wheel axle supported in that sleeve will, by reason of its being mounted eccentrically in the sleeve, be bodily moved around the true center of the frame bearing and thus the axle, its traction wheel 7, and the sprocket 20, mounted thereon,

will be shifted toward or from its driving sprocket 15, depending upon the direction the sleeve is turned. When the desired adjustment is obtained the bolts 28 are again position and properly spaced to act as an efi'ective clamping and holding agency when tightened.

l/Vhat I claim is l. A tractor comprising a housing having side walls, difierential mechanism mounted in said housing, axle members extending through and supported wholly by said side walls, bearings for said axle members, devices operable to adjust said bearings to move said axle members toward or from said differential mechanism, traction wheels driven by said axle members, sprocket wheel and chain mechanisms separately connecting said axle members with said difierential mechanism for driving, said axle members, and means independent of said sprocket wheel and chain mechanisms for driving said differential mechanism.

2. A. tractor comprising a housing having side walls, difierential mechanism mounted in said housing, axle members extending through and supported wholly by said side walls, bearings for said axle members, devices operable from outside the housing to adjust said bearings to move said axle members toward or from said differential mechanism, traction wheels driven by said axle members, sprocket wheel and chain mechanisms separately connecting said axle members with said differential mechanism for driving said axle members, and. means independent of said sprocket wheel and chain mechanisms for driving said differential mechanism.

3. A tractor comprising a housing having side walls, differential mechanism mounted in a fixed position in said housing, axle members extending through and supported wholly by said side Walls, bearings for said axle members, devices operable to adjust said 'of said frame, oppositely extending 7 housing large apertures in the side walls thereof, bearing sleeves rotatably supported in said aper 'tures at each side of said housing, two rear axles eccentrically mounted within said bearing sleeves,'a traction wheel mounted on the outer end of each axle, a sprocket on the inner end of each axle within said housing 7 apertures servingto, shift said axles fore'and aftrelatively tothe housing frame and independently of each other for adjusting the tension of said chains, and means for securing each of said bearing sleeves in its desired. angular setting comprising a flange on each bearing sleeve adapted to have clamping engagement against one side of the wall of said housing frame, a plurality of clamp members located at radially spaced points around each bearing sleeve and adapted to have clamping engagement with the opposite side of the housing wall, the inner end of each of said clamp members bearing against a shoulder on said sleeve and the outer end thereof bearing against the wall of said housing, and bolts passing through said clamping flange and the enlar ed aperture in the ad j acent housing wall and having-engagement with said clamping members.

11. In a tractor,the combination of a box like housing frame for the rear portion of the tractor, power transmitting mechanism supported within said frame, a differential within said frame and driven from said power transmitting mechanism, said frame having relatively large apertures in the side walls thereof, bearing sleeves rotatably supported in each of said apertures on the opposite sides axles eccentrically mounted within said hearing sleeves, a traction wheel mounted on the outer end of each axle, a sprocket on the inner end of each axle within said housing frame, driving sprockets associated with said differential, chains connecting said driving sprockets with the sprockets on the inner ends at radially spaced points around each bearlng sleeve wlthin said housing, thelnner end of each clamping member bear-ingagainst a sho lder on said s ee e, and. t e outer end thereof bearing against the inner side of the housing wall, bolts passing through said clamping flange and through the aperture in the adj acent housing wall and having heads non-rotatably engaging between the flanges of said channel-shaped clamping members and nuts screwing'over the outer ends of said lpjolts on the outer side of said clamping an 'e.

15 In a tractor, the combination of a lubricant containing transmission case, a transresponding bearing.

13. In a tractor the combination of a lubricant containing transmission case, a transmission thereln comprising a difierential, a pair oftraction wheels mounted on' axles supported in bearings mounted directly onthe case and capable of rotary adjustment with respect thereto, the axis of rotary adjustment of each bearing being eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of its corresponding wheel, an individual chain drive from the differential for driving each traction wheel, disposed within the case and adjustable by rotary adjustment of the corresponding bearing, and clamping means externally operable for releasing said bearings for adjuste ment,and for again clamping the same after adjustment.

let. In combination, a lubricant containing transmission case comprising a chassis frame having two separate axle housings rigidly connected thereto, wheels rotatably mounted on said axle housings, a separate driving device for each rear wheel, disposed within the case, said axle housings providing bearings which are rotarily adjustable with respect to the case, said bearings having axes of rotary adjustment eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of the wheels for securing individual adjustment of the separate driving devices. i

LOUIS W. l/VITRY. 

